Time for a Spring Picnic and a Recipe for Allergy-Friendly Lemon Herb Rice Salad

You may (or, quite possibly, may not) have noticed that it has been a while since I posted last.

I do have a couple of reasons why … one is because of a little surprise I have been busy working on. I’m just about ready to share it with you in a couple of weeks (and with it will come one HECK of a cool giveaway)…but you’ll have to be patient until then.

The other is because I was on the committee for the Silent Auction at my son’s school and it consumed most of my waking hours these last couple of weeks. I do just have to share though (okay, maybe even brag a little) that we ROCKED the auction and brought in an amazing amount of money for the school!

Now that I have a couple of my biggest projects behind me, and now that we are starting to see some first hints of Spring around here, I am ready to relax and enjoy some much needed play-time with my family.

Weirdly enough, I have been dreaming of having a picnic lately. I don’t even know why. Probably because we have been bundled up all winter long. And now that it is finally warming up, the thought of spending a sunny afternoon napping on a big fluffy blanket in the grass while the kids frolick around sounds heavenly about now.

Okay, so my kids don’t really ever just frolick. They are two active boys. Wrestle is a much better term to describe what they do. And all of that wrestling usually leads to someone in tears.  Which then leads to mom having to get involved. Which then means that that nap on that big fluffy blanket probably won’t happen. But…a mom can dream, right?

Aside from the lack of nap in this daydream, that picnic still sounds wonderful.

And my favorite thing to do for picnics is to pack up a meal that is sort of an all-in-one main-dish recipe so that we do not need to tote along a gazillion different food containers.

This Allergy-Friendly Lemon-Herb Rice Salad with Roasted Shrimp is just the perfect recipe for something like this. It has such a refreshing flavor from the Lemon-Citrus Vinaigrette. And it is so simple to throw together and pack up for a picnic. The best part is that it can be made a day in advance to make picnic prep easy and is a hit with the kids and adults.

What are your favorite things to pack up for a picnic? Any good ideas for me?

Okay. At least my dreams are….

This IS, by FAR, my most favorite salad ever.

It is an entire meal in a bowl. And even better is that my whole family will eat it.

The basic recipe comes from a favorite restaurant of ours here in Scottsdale, Cowboy Ciao.

We have adapted it over the years to fit our own special diet restrictions, but no matter what you do to this salad, it is still amazing.

The Stetson Chopped, as it is called here, is a salad with a quirky combination of salty/sweet/chewy/crunchy flavors and textures that will completely surprise your palate in that totally oh-so-good way.  The magic that comes from the combining of these flavors is sheer bliss in your mouth.

It can be tailored to meet most food allergies, by subbing a few ingredients here and there, or leaving some out all together. You can even get creative with your own ingredient ideas as well. And it is fairly simple to throw together. The most time consuming part is chopping up a few ingredients for the salad and then whirring the dressing away in the blender for a minute.

The fun part is in the presentation.  It is a salad that will surely “wow” your guests when you bring it to the table.  The amazing color combinations of the wonderfully fresh ingredients lined up so dramatically on the plate is definitely a conversation piece.  But the best part is when you pour that amazing dressing over it all and create a cornucopia of flavors for the palette!

And like I mention above, when I have not had it for a while, I seriously start to dream about it.

So…because I am definitely craving it right now, I am sharing this amazing Allergy-friendly chopped salad with you again.

And, I just may dare to say, that once you have tried it…you may start dreaming about it too!

Here is the final product all mixed together:

Not quite so pretty this way…but this is when the pure MAGIC happens. Trust me on this.

This is being shared with Allergy Free Wednesdays.

…at least I hope they will eat it. Hmmm. Perhaps I better cross my fingers on this point.

But my kids seem to really like this…so I think yours could too!

The reasons I think my kids find this salad fun is because it is:

Sweet. Crunchy. Tangy. Purple. Did I already say Sweet? And Purple?

Oh. And parents will like it because:

It only has a few ingredients. It is super easy to throw together. And it is super-duper healthy.

Did you know about all of the health benefits of Cabbage? Especially Purple/Red Cabbage?

Well, here are just a few things to get you excited about the possibility (again, fingers crossed) of your kids eating this wonder food:

1. Cabbage is an amazing detoxifier due to abundant amounts of Vitamin C, Sulphur, and other minerals that help it to purify the blood and remove toxins (primarily free radicals and uric acid).

2. Cabbage has wonderful anti-cancer properties, due to over 30 different anti-cancer chemicals identified in it. The most beneficial property is due to the high content of anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids that has been linked to cancer protection.

3. Cabbage is known to boost immunity, due to the high levels of Vitamin E which are known to assist in DNA repair and other metabolic processes, along with developing immunity building properties.

4. Juice from the red Cabbage is known to aid in ulcer and digestive healing because of it’s high levels of the amino acid called glutamine.

Hopefully, some of those above reasons will encourage you to see if your kids will try this salad!

Okay, now tell me….do you think YOUR kids (or whoever your picky eater might be) would like this? 

I mean it. This Pineapple, Bacon, Arugula Salad with a Pineapple Champagne Vinaigrette is our family’s new favorite allergy-friendly and gluten-free summer salad.

It is so fresh and is absolutely bursting with flavor. The kids even asked for seconds with this one. Yes. Seconds on Salad. I will repeat just in case you are as shocked as I was.

Yes. The kids asked for seconds on this salad.

I admit to being on a bit of a pineapple kick lately. After all, I just recently shared my Pineapple Avocado Salsa and my Mini Pineapple Upside-Down Cakes. But I cannot help it. Pineapple is one of my favorite fruits and it completely reminds me of summer in so many ways.

I figured if I could find a way to use pineapple in an appetizer, and also use it for a dessert, then why on earth could I not find a way to use it for a salad? So, of course, I did.

Oh, and do not even get me started on the dressing for this. I have been eating it by itself with a spoon. It is just ever-so-slightly addicting, in a totally good way.

So, if you happen to be a fan of this enzyme and anti-oxidant rich fruit that is just bursting with health benefits, then I think I can go out on a limb and safely say you will really like this salad!

PART TWO of my Ultimate Thanksgiving Prep Series includes the recipes for my Cranberry Citrus-Cider Sauce and a cold Green Bean and Shallot Salad with Champagne Cider Vinaigrette.

This is a two-for-one post. Yes. You get both recipes here in an effort to not turn this into a ten part series. I know. You do not have to thank me. I just like you all that much and want to keep your lives as simple as possible.

First up…this cranberry sauce.  There are so many reasons to love this sauce:

It is truly one of the easiest parts of the entire meal.

It makes your home smell amazing while it is simmering.

You can make it the day before the meal since it actually gets even better as it sits.

And best of all, your guests will love it and think that you worked really hard on it (let them think that – do not blow your cover).

Now for this Green Bean and Shallot Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette.

You can also use Haricots Vert for this salad. An exotic twist? Ahh…but no. They are really only a longer thinner French cousin of our typical American green bean.  But does it not just sound so much fancier to say you are serving Haricots Vert and Shallot salad (instead of plain ole’ green beans)?

Okay, since there is not too much you can say about a Green Bean (excuse me, Haricots Vert) and Shallot Salad, let us get on with the recipe. After all, you probably are juggling the Thanksgiving meal right about now and you do not have time to read some witty banter about a silly salad.

NEXT UP IN THIS SERIES:

PART 1: The Menu and The Plan of The Ultimate Thanksgiving Series

PART 2: Cranberry Citrus Cider Sauce AND Green Bean and Shallot Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette.

PART 3: The Gluten-Free Cornbread Recipe for the stuffing (with the Variation to make the Savory Cornbread Rosemary Muffins to go with the meal) and Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes.

PART 4: The Gluten-free Cornbread and Crusty Bread Stuffing I have been promising (and trust me, you will not want to leave out the secret ingredient).

PART 5: Cider Glazed Brined Turkey with Apple Brandy Gravy

PART 6: Toffee Pecan Caramel Apple Streusel (Gluten-free and Egg-free already, but ways to make this baby Dairy-free and Nut-free as well) and Crustless Pumpkin Streusel Pie.

PART 7: The MASTER Shopping List

PART 8: The Recap, with links to everything.

Amy Green, of the amazing Simply Sugar and Gluten Free Blog and soon to be author of an exciting new cookbook focused on quick and easy Gluten Free and Sugar Free Recipes, suggested that her Slightly Indulgent Tuesday round-up be all about healthier snacks.  I thought that this would make a fitting entry.

I have so many recipes that I am itching to share with you all, but somehow I just felt compelled to share this little one that I whipped up (in 20 minutes), simply because of the wonderful evening I had tonight!!  The meal, in and of itself, is nothing too special. The picture will not garnish great oohs and ahhs. But the feeling of the evening was perfect.  Why? Because the Husband went to dinner with some friends, and the kids have been in bed since 6:45pm (without a hint of resistance after spending the entire day in the backyard and the summer heat). For 5 hours straight they were in and out of both the pool and their new tree house (being built by their Dad, their Papa, and a great friend in our favorite shade tree -and yes, upon completion, I am going to have to post pictures of this creation made from scratch). But back to why this night was so wonderful…. I was alone. In total peace.  In unfamiliar quiet. I enjoyed a dinner on the patio, with no one chirping at me, except for the baby birds that just hatched in one of our trees.

Okay, and I do have to insert here that I love my children and my husband with all of my heart, but it is just so so rare that I get to create a meal just for me, without worrying about who likes what, or hearing a million “I’m hungry’s” whined to me (and that is not just from the kids), or having kitchen “help” from my 3 year old.   This is just me!  Some of you may think that I am crazy for getting this tickled, but really, it is the little things that get me going!

It started this morning with the wonderful bounty that I hauled home from our local Farmer’s Market, and really got going after the last lullaby’s were sung and all was quiet on the West side of our house!

Okay, I digress, and will get on with it.  Like I mentioned, this was not a fancy meal, by any means.  But this is the kind of dinner that I usually crave, especially since the triple digits have officially made their appearance here in Arizona and will not be leaving again until September! It is light, SUPER healthy, and goes great paired with a nice chilled glass of white wine (and since I was also the bartender tonight, I do admit to delivering myself a generous pour).

This meal is made with one of my favorite super foods: QUIONOA!  I have a hundred ways that I make it – hot dishes, cold dishes, main dishes, side dishes.  I grind it up in my Vitamix and use the flour for my pancakes, waffles, and other baking.  Anyway you use it, you are getting amazing health benefits.  Rebecca Wood, Author of Quiona The SuperGrain: Ancient Food for Today, says that “Unlike any of the grass-family grains, quionoa’s protein possesses an exceptionally attractive amino acid balance for human nutrition. It has high levels of the amino acid lysine, in which the common grains are deficient.”  It is gluten free and has higher levels of fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, and the B-vitamins than wheat, corn, oats, or rice.  I actually like to soak my quinoa grains overnight to initiate the sprouting process.  I think it lends a much better flavor and texture and aids greatly in the digestion process.  However, if you are going to soak your grains, make sure that you measure out the correct amount of liquid for the amount of quinoa that you are using.  It is also important to use the same water that you soaked your grains in for your cooking liquid.

Gluten Free Greek Quinoa Chicken Salad

1 cup Organic Quinoa

2 cups Water, or Organic Chicken stock (if not soaking overnight)

1 cup Organic  Romaine, Roughly chopped

1 cup shredded Free Range (Organic, if possible) Chicken (I used the pre-cooked Mary’s Rotisserie chicken that I bought from Whole Foods deli)

1 cup Organic grape tomatoes, quartered

1/2 Organic Red Onion, finely chopped

1 Organic Persian cucumber (super sweet and crunchy), diced

1/2 cup Kalamata olives ( I got mine from the fermented olive bar at Whole Foods), cut in half (Note: I have also added capers to this salad and they lend a great flavor, but since husband hates them, I do not do it often)

2 Tbsp Trader Joe’s Greek Style Feta Dressing (For Dairy Free version of this dressing try this recipe- it is a favorite when I want to make my own)

1/4 cup Crumbled Feta (For Dairy Free version, omit Feta entirely)

2 Tbsp Pinenuts (For Nut Free version, omit entirely)

1.  In a bowl, place your quinoa and enough water to cover initially.  Take the quinoa, a handful at a time and rub between your palms to loosen the bitter outer saponin coating.  Drain and rinse in a fine mesh colander.

2.  If soaking for an extended period, do this next step the desired amount of hours ahead of time.  If not soaking, you can just go ahead and add your rinsed quinoa grains from step 1 and your 2 cups of cooking liquid (water or chicken stock) to a 2 quart stockpot and go to Step 3.  Otherwise, to soak, combine 1 cup of quinoa and 2 cups of water in a your stockpot and soak uncovered for 2 – 24 hours.

3.  Bring quinoa and soaking or cooking liquid to a boil without stirring, then cover and reduce heat  to low and simmer for 15 minutes.  Then remove from heat and allow to sit, covered, for 5 more minutes.  Then uncover, fluff with a fork, and allow to cool.

4.  Once cool to the touch, place in serving bowl and add your chopped Romaine, I actually like to chop my Romaine much smaller than I did here, but I was not being picky tonight.  Then add your chicken, red onion, cucumber, and Kalamata Olives.  Gently stir to combine.

5.  Drizzle with Dressing and toss to coat.  Add Salt and Pepper to taste, then top with crumbled Feta (unless you are Dairy Free) and Pinenuts (unless you are Nut Free).  Enjoy!

So I sit, listening to the waterfall from the pool while finishing my dinner and a great glass of wine. I savor the peace, enjoy every moment of it,  eat my homemade cookie without  sharing a bite, and  aprepare for the commotion that will begin anew tomorrow!  And as the evening turns to dark and the bugs begin to crowd my computer screen, I will sign off .  This night was just long enough to renew my soul.  I am already excited to see those sweet faces in the morning as they crawl into bed with us, asking for another meal.  And I will savor the time as I whip something up that they will all like, while they are all hollering “I’m hungry”, and my 3 year old “helps”!  Life is wonderful.

Update: I am having slight Mommy guilt as I re-read this.  Please, let me know that I am not alone in savoring a night like this. Please tell me that you, too, covet these moments!

If you live in Scottsdale, Arizona and have been to the Cowboy Ciao Restaurant then you have probably had The Stetson Chopped salad.  I love this restaurant and I could not describe their fare any better than they do when they say on their site that Cowboy Ciao “features Modern American food with global influences. Bold flavors, unique ingredients, and unpredictable combinations keep guests raving and returning time and again.”

But this post is not about a Restaurant Review.  This post is a story.  It is a story about a salad that has truly made a name for itself here in the Southwest.  This story is about The Stetson Chopped.  It is a salad with a quirky combination of salty/sweet/chewy/crunchy flavors.  It is a compilation of flavors that you would never expect together.  But the magic that comes from the combining of these flavors is sheer bliss in your mouth.  In fact, this salad is so well known here, that when I go into my local Trader Joe’s (where you really can get most of the ingredients called for) and ask if they have this ingredient or that ingredient, they usually say, “Oh, I know what you’re making!”

It is an easy salad to make – not very labor intensive or complicated at all.  In fact, the most time consuming part is chopping up a few ingredients for the salad and then whirring the dressing away in the blender for a minute.  The fun part is in the presentation.  It is a salad that will surely “wow” your guests when you bring it to the table.  The amazing color combinations of the wonderful fresh ingredients lined up so dramatically on the plate is definitely a conversation piece.  But the best part is when you pour that amazing dressing over it all and create a cornucopia of flavors for the palette!

This is truly one of my favorite salads to serve.  It can be tailored to meet most food allergies, by subbing a few ingredients here and there, or leaving some out all together.  I have tried it all which ways because  I have this on a regular rotation of dishes that I make when guests come over… and it seems like I run with a circle of friends that covers the whole gamut of food allergies!  Any which way you make it, it never disappoints.

I have made a couple permanent alterations to the original recipe that the owner of the restaurant has made quite available over the years, just to ensure gluten-free status.  First, the original recipe calls for Israeli CousCous.  But since this is not gluten free, I have used both Brown Rice CousCous (such as Lundberg’s brand) or I have used Shär Gluten Free Anellini noodles that are even smaller than orzo and in the shape of little rings (do not use these if you are allergic to corn – they have corn flour in them). Second, I always double,triple, or even quadruple the recipe because I am usually cooking for a crowd, and even if there are left-overs (although not likely) this is a rare salad that I think is even better the next day (most get squishy and icky – not this one).

Here is the final product all mixed together:

And in honor of the fact that my iPhone App was featured in Apple’s New & Noteworthy section of the App store, I have decided to host a recipe contest that will be posted on Monday.  The winner of the contest will receive an 8G 3rd Generation iPod Touch and a free download of my App.  The Touch has all of the same features of an iPhone except for the ability to make calls: Pinch to zoom, Scroll through your favorite recipes, songs, music with just a flick, Download over 200,000 Apps, Watch movies and tv, And built in wi-fi to browse the web!

So get those gluten free and allergy free recipes together!  Anyone can win!